If you’ve ever thought, “I just want to eat more without gaining weight,” or felt totally stuck in a fat loss plateau, this blog is going to feel like a breath of fresh air.
Because yes—you can eat more without fat gain. And when done right? It’s actually the secret to losing weight and keeping it off… especially if your metabolism has been wrecked by years of restrictive dieting.
This is Part 2 of our deep dive into metabolism health, where we unpack the real reason low-calorie diets stop working—and what to do instead if you want to lose weight and feel good long term.
Let’s get into it, Beautiful Peach 🍑
Why Eating More is the Only Way to Heal a Slow Metabolism
Most women I talk to have tried “every diet under the sun.” Sound familiar?
You’ve done the calorie-counting thing. Cut carbs. Tried keto, WW, Noom, Optavia, fasting windows, sugar detoxes, “clean eating.” You name it, you’ve done it. But despite all of it, your metabolism still feels like it’s crawling—and any time you eat more than 1,200–1,400 calories, you instantly gain weight.
That’s not a willpower problem. It’s a metabolic adaptation problem.
If your body has been in a calorie deficit for too long (even unintentionally), your metabolism has likely slowed down to match that intake. This is your body protecting you. It’s doing its job, but it’s frustrating when fat loss stalls and you feel like you’re stuck in calorie jail.
Reverse Dieting Is the Key to Getting Un-Stuck
Reverse dieting is the strategy I teach all our BPM clients when they’re stuck in that frustrating loop of low intake + no results.
The goal? To increase your calories strategically—without the mass fat gain associated with eating more—so your metabolism can heal and you can eventually lose fat again.
It’s like building a stronger foundation before you remodel the house. Without this phase, you’re just patching cracks.
But with it?
You actually fix the root problem that’s keeping you stuck.
Inside our coaching program, we use a science-backed method of adjusting macros one at a time, monitoring biofeedback (like energy, digestion, strength, sleep, cycle health), and slowly increasing intake week by week to prevent fat gain.
Randomly increasing by 50-100 calories and hoping for the best? That’s not a reverse diet. That’s a guessing game, and it’s why so many women stay stuck with that method.
You Can Eat More and Still Lose Fat
One of our coaching clients came to us after trying to reverse diet herself from YouTube videos. She was doing 100-calorie increases each week, then cut back to 50, still gained weight, and felt completely lost. After 6 months of flip-flopping, she was exhausted and ready to give up.
Fast forward through coaching? She’s now eating 500 more calories, hasn’t regained the weight, and finally feels strong, energized, and free.
Reverse dieting works when it’s done intentionally and based on science—not just vibes or fear.
And when done right, it actually helps you set up a fat loss phase that feels good (and actually works). Because losing fat from a place of metabolic health is completely different than forcing it through another crash diet.
What Happens After You Heal Your Metabolism
Here’s where it gets fun. Let’s say you were eating 1,200 calories at your plateau. You reverse diet to 2,400+. You maintain your weight range while your body builds strength, energy, and trust again. Then, when you’re ready, you enter a calorie deficit from a place of abundance.
That means:
- No restriction.
- No obsessing.
- No binge-restrict cycles.
- Just sustainable fat loss with energy, food freedom, and confidence.
This is how we actually lose weight long-term. By fixing the metabolism first, then creating a smart strategy from a place of strength.
If you’re unsure where your metabolism currently sits, the Heal Your Metabolism Starter Kit is a fab first step. You’ll be able to calculate where you are now, and get clarity on whether you need to reverse or are ready for fat loss.
Reverse Dieting Isn’t a Quick Fix—But It Is the Solution
Let’s be honest. If quick fixes worked, you wouldn’t still be reading this blog (and bless you for being here). But what if you gave your body a season of healing and patience?
I always say: it took time for your metabolism to slow down… so give it time to heal.
The amazing part? Once you heal your metabolism for good—you stay healed.
You can enjoy food. Travel. Drink wine. Eat chocolate. See results. And never go back to the “yo-yo diet and weight regain” loop again.
So… Should You Reverse Diet?
If you’re stuck in a fat loss plateau, eating under 1,600 calories, or gaining weight when you eat any more food… the answer is yes.
Reverse dieting can help you:
- Raise your metabolism back to a healthy place
- Stop binge cycles and food fear
- Lose fat long-term without giving up your favorite foods
And most importantly? You finally feel good again.
When you’re ready to build a customized plan and get support through every macro adjustment, weekly win, and healing season… our BPM coaching program where we support you through our Metabolism Reset Phase and Fat Loss Accelerator Phase might be the next step for you.
You are SO capable and worthy of feeling good in your body again.
You don’t have to live in a 1,200-calorie world.
Love and peaches,
Caitlen 🍑
